James Alexander

Under Pressure: James Alexander, professor of sculpture and ceramics, says the new art studio spaces are “some of the best in the country.” His own studio is used for three purposes: to warehouse materials for future works, to provide space to safely employ the equipment used to make new works and to store the component elements constructed for past works. But the sounds of construction are not the only sounds that fill the studio.

“I usually have music playing, but the type of music depends on what I’m doing” Alexander says. “If I’m mentally working on a piece I’ll listen to some cool jazz, like Miles Davis. During the construction stage, it’s more John Coltrane or Van Morrison. And if I’m under a lot of pressure to meet a deadline, it’s Eminem that keeps me going.”

Art in Balance: “Most of my pieces involve the concept of the resolution of forces: chaos and order, tension and compression, or balance and imbalance,” Alexander says (“Equipose Amacord” is shown above). “When I was in college, the Vietnam War was on, so the concept of resolution playing a role in my thinking process may be derived from those collegiate experiences.”